• BorgDrone@feddit.nl
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      2 hours ago

      Not just investing. Every time banks loan money to someone they steal from everyone.

      Fractional reserve banking means that banks only need to have a fraction of the money their customers have in accounts actually in reserve, based on the idea that not everyone will withdraw all their money from the bank at the same time. For example, if people have deposited €1000 at a bank, the bank may be allowed to have €1500 is customers’ accounts, because only a fraction needs to be covered by actual money. The rest is just entries in a database.

      Because of the difference between what was deposited and what they are allowed to have as ‘virtual’ money in accounts, they can loan out the difference. So when someone asks for a €500 loan, they approve it and put €500 in the customers account without actually having more money in reserve. They basically create that €500 out of thin air. (Which the customer eventually has to pay back with real money).

      Because the total amount of money actually represents the total amount of value created (e.g. by labour and manufacturing), and they just created more money without actually creating more value, the bank just caused a little bit of inflation by issuing that loan. Meaning every time they issue a loan everyone else’s money becomes worth a little less, and this difference eventually ends up in the bank’s pockets.

  • Pyrixas@piefed.social
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    3 hours ago

    Services that still bother touting the whole ‘up to’ practice.

    You’re never guaranteed anything, you just deal with what the service decides to give you. Internet especially, if you’re always getting less than the speed advertised - oh well - they said ‘up to’ which to them means, you’ll get it on a good day but every other day, deal with what’s there.

  • tetris11@feddit.uk
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    2 hours ago

    Water companies, when there’s only one in the area. I’ve played this boardgame before…

  • MonkeMischief@lemmy.today
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    4 hours ago

    For some people? Pre-ordering digital games. I mean huh? What are ye even doin there Jimmy-Bob? You afraid they’re gonna run out of copies? O.o

    • captcha_incorrect@lemmy.world
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      1 hour ago

      That used to make sense before all games were delivered over the internet. When all games were delivered physically via disk, running out was possible. Preorder made sure you had your copy on the day of the release.

  • FlembleFabber@sh.itjust.works
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    5 hours ago

    Lottery tickets, its everywhere. It gets shoved in my mailbox all the time. To me its just gambling but then with worse odds… How is it legal to market it so much?

  • Stormcrow@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    6 hours ago

    •Buying home •Private insurance •New cars •Haircuts •Eating at expensive restaurant •Fast food •Subscriptions instead of owning •Brands •Cotton-swab not for ear •Jiffylube •Carbon emissions from consumer vehicles •Tariffs •Freetrade agreements •Food deliver services

    • DeadMartyr@lemmy.zip
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      11 hours ago

      Tbf we should always aim for slight inflation. You want to incentivize people to use their money on things so it circulates, and it being slightly depreciating is the best way to do that.

      If it was the best option long term to just stuff money into a mattress and sit on it for a decade then that has it’s own problems

      • DavidDoesLemmy@aussie.zone
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        5 hours ago

        The best inflation is zero. The second best is slight inflation. The third best is slight deflation. Because they can’t control it that well they aim for slight inflation so it doesn’t go negative.

  • I Cast Fist@programming.dev
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    13 hours ago

    Paying for education that “the market” wants us to have so they can have a larger pool of skilled workers, leading to lower salaries